The carnivore diet is a meat-focused diet that involves eating only animal products. Learn what experts say about its benefits and risks and what you need to know before trying it.
Most dietitians recommend eating a colorful array of foods and food groups, with an emphasis on vegetables. But some people say that eating just one food group could be better than all the rest.
Enter the carnivore diet: a meat-lover’s meal plan that embraces all and only animal products. Unlike other high-protein, low-carb diets, zero carbs are allowed.
Dietitians and medical experts say the fad is restrictive and dangerous – but supporters are relentless in their enthusiasm toward the approach. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet is a “zero-carbohydrate diet and an extreme version of the keto diet,” explains Hollie Zammit, a registered dietitian with Orlando Health in Florida. This diet consists of consuming only animal products and staying away from fruits and vegetables, plant-based proteins, processed foods or other sources of protein, fats and carbs.
There’s no gray area and no leeway for adding additional food groups, says New York City-based registered dietitian Jamie Feit, of Jamie Feit Nutrition LLC. “It’s basically eating eggs and bacon for breakfast, a steak for lunch and a cheeseburger and bacon for dinner,” – sans bun, mind you.
Weight loss, dieting structure, potential health benefits and personal goals are among the reasons why people pursue the carnivore diet. Proponents of the diet say it can help you avoid or reverse common ailments such as diabetes, obesity and autoimmune diseases. But studies backing up these claims are scarce – and many dietitians criticize the approach.
